What Is It Like to Be a Multicultural Community in Edmonton?
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
40 Av Calgary Tr Duggan Details St 111 www.duggancommunity.ab.ca 34 Av Issue No. 328 FREE newsletter to all Duggan residents, compliments of the Duggan Community League September 2008 OUR COMMUNITY . OUR RESPONSIBILITY . OUR OPPORTUNITY What is it like to be a multicultural community in Edmonton? I don’t know. I find it more challenging to get We need to do our part as a commu- to know someone of another culture – mostly nity to help our environment. Don’t out of ignorance – I’d rather not offend some- you think so? Here are some potential one if at all possible – so I’m more careful. We all need help in this matter. In Canada we pride ways of helping our environment: ourselves of our diversity. This means we do not try to assimilated another culture into our own, 1. Reduce the number of stops or even reduce but nurture each others ways, honour each oth- the entire route of our garbage and recy- ers histories and be open to new possibilities. cling collection by getting together with Over the summer I have met many people in our neighbour(s) and consolidate collecting Duggan – with many diverse backgrounds and points (i.e., all on one side of the street or Heritage Days - Courtesy of Edmonton Tourism cultures. This introduction has left me wanting back alley; together with your neighbour to meet more of you and learn more about the reducing collection points…) On this shrunken globe, men can various cultures in Duggan. 2. Car pool (check out web sites like: no longer live as strangers. http://www.erideshare.com/carpool. I would like to suggest that we try one or two php?city=Edmonton or http://www.car- ~Adlai E. Stevenson articles a month on different aspects of ‘tradi- pool.ca/ ) tions’ within our cultures, different experiences 3. Use the transit system more often. of what it means to be community from various 4. Goods Exchanging – what I might put in IN THIS ISSUE: parts of the world, and some of the difficulties a garage sale might be better off in an ex- change (we could use our website, our hall Front Page: new persons arriving in our community have had to face. If I write them, they will have a or do something in parts of our neighbour- • What is it like to be a multicultural hood). community in Edmonton? very bent bias towards a white French Canadi- an perspective – which we do not need. Think 5. Save your ‘bottle depot’ cans, bottles, etc. Page 2: DCL News about it, and maybe you have a story in you to for the youth of our community – i.e. Bea- vers/Cubs/Scouts. • Duggan Community League tell, some interesting friendships, some things Memberships for 2008/09 you miss from wherever you have come from – 6. As a community league, what about a poli- • Duggan Details Carriers Needed in Canada or abroad. cy of no commercial bottled water? 7. Our hall uses old lighting technology, what Page 3: Community We have scheduled a tentative family dance on about upgrading to a more energy efficient • What Happened to Our Police Force? technology? • Elected Representatives in SW October 25th. Let’s put our heads together and energy to make it a great family event. Edmonton Commit to Working Together This is an area where we can all Page 4: Education Here are some other potential ways of contribute ideas and offer assistance. • Creating Safer Streets for Our Students getting to know our community: and Families How often have you needed a trades person • Student Recipe Book Art Project 1. Block parties (plumber, electrician, drywaller, …) or a profes- Page 5: Programs 2. Swapping of stuff (i.e., instead of selling it sional (accountant, lawyer, doctor...) or a spe- or throwing it out – consider trading it) cialist (computer technician, website designer, Page 6 & 7: Events & Recreation 3. Cultural practices explained in articles to …) and did not know where to start looking? What if we, through the Duggan Community • Get Lost in an A”Maze”ing the local paper (Duggan Details). Exam- Rexall Edmonton Indy Tribute ples: Indian wedding practices; first na- Website, offered a listing of such local services • Get in the Game! Eskimo Football tion burial practices; what does it mean to and persons? Would you be interested in list- Promotion be community in Nigeria; some traditional ing (free for small businesses) your name and/ or business? Would you be interested in using Back Page: Going Green foods of Tanzania; etc. 4. Family dances (we have tentatively sched- such a listing? Just another way of learning • Climate Change Corner more about who we are in our community. • Community League Green Challenge uled such an event on October 25th – what 2008 should we do for food? What about music? • TD Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup Roger Plouffe How can we keep our children engaged?) Duggan Community League President 2 DCL News Duggan Community League Duggan Community Hall Letters to the Editor Memberships for 2008/09 Street Address: 3728 - 106 Street Do you have something to say about Duggan Community League memberships are your community? For your convenience, you can now check-out valid for one year - September to August Duggan hall availability, rental rates & poli- 2008 - 2009 memberships are now available. Introducing the Duggan Details “Letters cies, and make hall booking requests on line! to the Editor” section, where you have the * $35.00 for a family opportunity to tell us what you think. Our hall is renovated with affordable rates and * $20.00 for singles and seniors can support many types of functions, up to a * $10.00 for kidsport • What do you want from your community? maximum of 200 people. Bookings are on a (contact the office for details) • What are we doing well? first come - first serve basis, with preference • What changes would you like to see? being given to local community events. You must be a member to participate in com- • Do you make use of the programs or activi- munity programs. ties offered through the Duggan Commu- Visit our website at: www.duggancommu- nity League – let us know? nity.ab.ca OR phone 780-436-6987. For League Memberships or more • Are there other programs or activities that information call 780-436-6987. you would like to see offered in Duggan? • Is there an issue that the Community League should be addressing on behalf of its’ mem- bers? • Want to thank a neighbour for a kind ges- ture? • Is there a good news story you want to share with the community? Please send us your thoughts and comments. Courtesy of Edmonton Tourism Letters to the Editor should be sent to: www.duggancommunity.ab.ca Please put “Letter to the Editor” in the sub- ject line. Submissions must be signed and be no longer than 100 words. Submissions are subject to ed- itorial discretion and available space. Duggan Details Carriers Needed The Duggan Details Carriers must be 14 years of age or younger and are responsible for pick- ing up the newsletters from the Distribution Manager and delivering the newsletters to their assigned route in the Duggan Neighborhood within a specified period of time. Carriers are paid on a per paper basis for each paper they deliver and the number of papers per route varies. The Duggan Details Newlsetter is published 10 times per year. Time commitment required is 1 1/2 - 2 hours per route. Duggan Details Advertising Ad Rates (Prices include GST)* $ 3.50/sq inch The Duggan Details is published as close to month-end as possible. Submission deadlines for 2007/2008 are: The 10th of the month for the following months’ publication. If you have any questions or would like to place an ad, please contact Tanya at [email protected] Community 3 What Happened to our Police Force? www.edmontonpolice.ca Roger Plouffe In spring, we (the communities) were invited to you seen a patrol car parked in some particular become part of an auto dial system for higher a meeting (town hall style) with our police. The area, seemingly just sitting there? Probably re- profile activities that our community needs to Chief was there, along with other high ranking porting time with a strategic visible location! watch out for. members of the force, along with some mem- Did you know that now those assigned an area bers of council, and the Police Commission. get statistics daily (rather than monthly at best What about all those ‘not so criminal’ activi- Also, just as importantly, there were members in prior years)? Finally, and most importantly, ties, or bad behavior type activities that can bog of the police force that work our area of the did you know that this police force includes down our police? A new system is being built city. It was a very informative and eye opening ALL partners involved with policing? That (some of which is already available) through meeting for me. means the provincial leaders / legislatures, the the internet. A special area will be available to civic leaders, the court system, and of course report things like – found needles, suspicious My opinion of our police force was not a posi- the communities and you and I are included. A activities, nuisances, etc. The graffiti program tive one, albeit respectful, but not all that sup- more holistic approach leads to better commu- is already active where it is important to quick- portive. I just remembered when my car was nication, better information and therefore bet- ly capture (photos), report (via two options – broken into some years ago and when I con- ter utilization of resources.